Books for new siblings

Children may have a lot of uncertainty about the arrival of a new baby. These books can help by explaining to a child what the effect of a new baby will be and explaining feelings and events that may occur.

Basic factual books

Campbell, Stuart Watch me grow: A week by week development of a foetus.
Cocovini, Abby What’s inside your tummy, mummy?: A book for introducing a young child to the concept of where babies come from and how they grow. It discusses various changes going on inside ‘mummy’s tummy’ with ‘life-size’ drawings. Every month a new picture shows how big baby is and how far along a timeline (featured at the foot of each spread) baby has moved.
Deveny, Catherine Our new baby: Basic explanation of what happens with the arrival of a new baby in the family.
Hedges, Shelly Peanut: An interactive story to build the bond between your child and your unborn baby as you follow the stages in the development of the baby in the womb from 4 weeks to 40 weeks. Includes activities for the older sibling and information on the growth of the baby.
Manning, Mick Our baby inside!: This delightful book shows how a baby grows inside its mother’s tummy over the nine months of pregnancy through the ingenious use of half-page flaps.

Sibling jealousy

Anholt, Catherine and Laurence Sophie and the new baby: Sophie gets a new baby brother and she finds it hard to adjust, but with the changing seasons she learns to love her new brother.
Fitzpatrick, Marie-Louise Silly baby: Beth has a new baby brother. He cries, he poos, he gets all the attention. Silly, silly Baby! But grandma shows Beth that he is small and soft and can smile at his big sister - and Beth thinks that maybe he isn’t so silly after all.
Hall, Algy Craig Fine as we are: Little Frog was very happy just being with his mom. Then the baby frogs came. Lots of baby frogs.
Holabird, Katharine Angelina’s baby sister: Angelina is really looking forward to having a new baby sister, but she finds she doesn’t get as much attention as she might like.
Knight, India The baby (But I’d have liked a hamster): When new baby comes home, Tom is not impressed. Baby Florence is a ’podge’ and Tom is much more interested in being an astronaut than a big brother.
Lloyd, Sam Mr Pusskins and little whiskers: Life for Emily and Mr Pusskins is dreamy, until the day she comes home with a Very Special Present …a Kitten! Even though Little Whiskers is small and looks awfully angelic, she is not. She a tiny package of peskiness. So how will Mr Pusskins deal with this naughty nuisance, and will they ever get on?
Morris Richard Bye-bye baby!: Felix does not like his new baby sister and thinks his parents should take her back, until a trip to the zoo makes him realize that she might not be as bad as he thought.
Newman, Marjorie Just like you did: When a new baby comes in to the house Tom is upset. He feels that the baby takes up everyone’s time. In fact he HATES the baby! When his parents notice he’s upset they reassure him that once upon a time he too was a little baby, and needed lots of attention, and one day the baby will be a boy like him.
Moon, Nicola Something special: Charlie can’t find anything to take to school to show for "special" day, until he remembers that he does have a new baby sister. But it isn’t always easy with someone else in the house.
Saltzbery, Barney Cornelius P. Mud, are you ready for baby?: There’s a new baby in the house. Is Cornelius P. Mud ready? Not really! The baby may be getting all the attention, but he isn’t very much fun. He can’t talk. He can’t eat. He can’t play. Can they send him back? Does Mom love the baby best? When he trots out his good humour — and his gift for entertainment — he soon discovers that the new arrival can do something very special indeed.
Shipton, Jonathan Baby, baby, blah, blah, blah!: Emily loves lists. And when her parents tell her that they are going to have a baby, she makes a very important list-the pros and cons of having a new baby. A sibling is good because you can play pat-a-cake with it, but a baby is mostly bad because it doesn’t do anything except suck, dribble, spit up, and cry. Worst of all, when the baby arrives everyone will say baby this and baby that and baby baby blah blah blah!
Voake, Charlotte Ginger: Ginger doesn’t like the naughty new kitten in his house but soon they are reconciled.

Other books

Clay, Jenny The smile in the moon: Describes the feelings experienced by an older brother, when there is a new baby in the home.
Hill, Eric Spot’s baby sister: Spot is excited about his new baby sister and soon she is happily playing with Spot and his friends.
Horse, Harry Little Rabbit’s new baby: Beautiful, realistic and fun story. Mama is expecting a baby and Little Rabbit is very excited at the thought of a brand new brother or sister - all the games they can play and the hopping to be done! But Mama surprises everyone with the birth of three babies and suddenly life in the burrow changes. From being a very proud big brother, Little Rabbit soon realises that the babies might not be all the fun he first thought. They take up all Mama and Papa’s time, they’re always crying, they get their sticky paws on his toys, and they follow him around everywhere! But those baby rabbits love their big brother and it’s not long before Little Rabbit starts loving them back and making Mama and Papa very proud of him.
McBratney, Sam You’re all my favourites: A family of bears worry about which of them is their parents favourite only to learn that they are all equally loved and valued.
Norling, Beth Little sisters are and Little brothers are: Little sisters and brothers can be tiny, cuddly, smelly and sad. They can be bouncy, lumpy, sticky and brave, they can be a lot of things, but most importantly, a they can be your best friend.
Overend, Jenni Hello baby: Warm portrayal of a family’s experience of home birth. Some quite graphic pictures.
Simpson-Enock, Sarah Mummy, Mummy, what’s in your tummy?: Every day Mummy’s tummy gets bigger and bigger but what could be inside? A fairy with wings? A boat painted blue? This little child just can’t wait to see what it could be !
Sutcliffe, Mandy Evie’s Seaside Lullaby: A tender, warm and wondrous story of a small girl’s adventure-filled, imaginary journey, as she learns to cherish her new baby brother.